The Stafford is a new breed of canary; which originated in Stafford, England.

Their first appearance on the British National Exhibition bench was in 1987. The Canary Council of Great Britain accepted the Stafford as a new breed of canary in 1990.

Here in America, the National Cage Bird show added a Stafford section in the Type division for the 1992 National show. Originally only the crested birds were exhibited, now both crested and non-crested are shown.

Staffords are a Type canary in red and rose ground colors, including melaninistic coloring in the selfs. They are a color bred canary, but not every colored bird with a crest is a Stafford. They are a cross between the Gloster and Red Factor types.

Red ground color should be a bright fiery red evenly distributed throughout the plumage.

Rose ground color should be a rich, bright pink which is evenly distributed throughout the plumage. Rose ground color should be a rich, bright pink which is evenly distributed.

Staffords are five inches long and bred to an accepted type standard.

They can be Clear, Variegated or Self.

There are three feather types: Non-frosted, Frosted, and Mosaic (dimorphic).